Together We Are Beating Cancer

(Ad, 2023)

Letting voiceover carry weight, while the music focuses on balancing optimism with reverence.

In 2023 Cancer Research launched their ‘Together we are beating cancer’ campaign, which features people who have actually been affected by Cancer. The voiceover is really strong and the imagery is great, it feels personal, it’s exciting, it’s relatable. The music is almost there, but feels uncharacteristically inauthentic in comparison to their recent sync history.

The voiceover is powerful enough that it supplies nearly all the gravitas you need for this campaign. So with these five rescores I tried to let the voiceover do its thing, and instead use the music to build on Cancer Research’s messaging shift. Here I looked for cues that:

  • Feel authentic and unique

  • Work in a commercial context

  • Emotionally align with CRUK's measured optimism 

  • Match the dynamic editing style

  • Feel familiar in their instrumentation/structure

  • I must’ve been maybe eleven or twelve, when, during a Coronation Street ad break, I first saw Cancer Research’s ‘Enemy’. A somber campaign built from a collage of kaleidoscopic visuals with a tense voiceover and, most importantly, soundtracked by Brian Eno’s ‘An Ending (Ascent)’. To my surprise, it had managed to take me away from the cobbled stones of Coronation Street and left me with goosebumps all over my body.

    The track is magical. The refined and expansive sound aligned perfectly with the campaign’s attempt to illustrate the scale of the fight against cancer. Its success in communicating that message was proven by my involuntary reaction to it.

    Since then Cancer Research have shifted the focus of their messaging towards a more hopeful, almost playful tone. They’ve built their identity on a careful and restrained level of optimism, using real stories of positive human impact to garner support. Cues from some of Cancer Research’s bolder, more tongue-in-cheek campaigns include EMF’s Unbelievable, M.I.A.’s Y.A.L.A. and Kasabian’s Club Foot. Ultimately, they’re trying to reduce the stigma around cancer and shift the narrative towards a restrained but uplifting tone.

    In 2023 they launched their ‘Together we are beating cancer’ campaign, which features people who have actually been affected by Cancer. The voiceover is really strong and the imagery is great, it feels personal, it’s exciting, it’s relatable. The music is almost there, but feels uncharacteristically inauthentic in comparison to their recent sync history.

    The voiceover is powerful enough that it supplies nearly all the gravitas you need for this campaign. So with these rescores I tried to let the voiceover do its thing, and instead use the music to build on Cancer Research’s messaging shift. Here I looked for cues that:

    • Feel authentic and unique

    • Work in a commercial context

    • Emotionally align with CRUK's measured optimism 

    • Match the dynamic editing style

    • Feel familiar in their instrumentation/structure

Option One: An expected, but authentic, commercial-friendly sound

for portfolio use only

Ezra Feinberg, Russell Greenburg - Flutter Intensity

Musical Choice:

  • Commercial-friendly but creative composition

  • Vibraphone flourishes layered over understated guitar

Creative Reasoning:

  • Feels at home in a TV ad without sounding generic

  • Musical ‘flutter’ moments act as punctuation for visual transitions

  • First vibraphone hit aligned with narrative shift toward hope

Practical/Licensing Notes:

  • Highly editable structure with multiple natural sync points

  • Suitability for music-led editing approaches

  • Commercial, but avoids the pitfalls of anonymous production music scoring

  • To me, this is the most expected choice. It has this commercial glimmer to its instrumentation which feels right at home on a TV ad. What makes it such a perfect match, is that it achieves this without ever sounding like those lazy compositions which can often give production music bad rep.

    It has these unique musical moments which serve as punctuation, lending itself to the fast and dynamic editing style of this video. Utilising this, I wanted the first of Russell Greenberg’s vibraphone moments to arrive as the narrative switches to a more positive note. Surprisingly, once I’d positioned the track, it lined up with quite a number of different transition points, further cementing the idea that this cue would work well in a video with a more music-led editing style.

    Emotionally, it carries the measured optimism needed perfectly. The flutters mentioned above act as these positive but poised flourishes which are layered over an understated guitar track that keeps everything together.

  • Master: Tonal Union Records Limited (ISRC: GX4FT2406004)

    Publishing: Ezra Louis Feinberg (sole writer)

    Control: Independent (Master), Writer-Controlled (Publishing)

    Notes: Direct publishing clearance with writer, no publisher entity registered.

Option Two: Playful, modern piano

for portfolio use only

Duval Timothy - Ibs

Musical Choice:

  • Playful but restrained modern piano

  • Tight, rhythmic phrasing in later section of the track

Creative Reasoning:

  • Optimistic without trivialising the subject

  • Natural bounce supports quick cuts and scene changes

  • Cue begins on a new musical phrase to establish momentum fast

  • Music exits before ‘it’s gone’ to let the emotional payoff land

Practical/Licensing Notes:

  • Minimal arrangement leaves space for voiceover

  • On Duval Timothy’s own label (Carrying Colour), suggests flexible rights conversations

  • Strong contextual alignment with UK-based, forward-thinking charity messaging

  • Duval Timothy’s Ibs hits the emotional tone this ad requires perfectly. Playful but restrained in its playing style, without trivialising the matter at hand.

    There’s a lovely bouncing movement in the song which helps the quick cuts and scene changes feel natural. I chose to use the end portion of the track because the notes are played in a much tighter fashion, providing space for the voiceover to work its magic.

    I timed the edit so that the cue enters on a new phrase, establishing momentum quickly and allowing the listener to easily familiarise themselves with the track. To avoid over-scoring, the music exits just as we witness the ‘it’s gone’ moment. A moment more powerful on its own.

    If I were to have been in the editing room I’d have wanted a few more edits in time with the music, helping to translate the momentum I mentioned previously to the screen.

    Duval Timothy is a forward thinking pianist based in the UK and Sierra Leone, who’s emotional tone seen across all of his work feels aligned with the identity of Cancer Research. Rights pathway should be relatively straightforward due to his entire catalog having been released on his own label, Carrying Colour.

  • Master: Duval Timothy (ISRC: QZ8LD1756999)

    Publishing: Universal Music Publishing Limited (sole writer: Duval Timothy)

    Control: Artist-Controlled (Master), Major (Publishing)

    Notes: Master cleared directly with artist.

Option Three: A warm and familiar-sounding 90s re-record

for portfolio use only

Stereolab - Come And Play In The Milky Night

Musical Choice:

  • Warm, melodic guitar focus from the demo version

  • Vocals removed to avoid voiceover conflict

  • Proposed bespoke re-record

Creative Reasoning:

  • Familiar, comforting tone

  • Re-record allows modernisation without losing emotional warmth

  • Ending tails off during the key emotional reveal to avoid over-scoring

Practical/Licensing Notes:

  • Re-record avoids master rights and increases production control

  • Band still together and releasing music, simplifying publishing discussions

  • Charity context strengthens licensing narrative and goodwill

  • I realised a re-record would be the best option here after removing the vocals from the demo version of Stereolab’s ‘Come And Play In The Milky Night’ in order to avoid with the voiceover. The melody on the guitar was what had drawn me in.

    Doing so would offer a saving on master rights and the opportunity to up production value, so that the track could be given a cleaner, modern edge more in keeping with the image on the screen. Though care would need to be taken to avoid scrubbing out the warmth that makes this track such a solid emotional match.

    The band are still together, releasing an album last year, so although the splits may be complicated, at least they’re on speaking terms. The broader ‘cancer charity’ context in which the cue is being used should also work in our favour.

    Similar to the Duval Timothy cue, the ending peters off during the ‘it’s gone’ moment, allowing the moment to really speak for itself, I’m imagining that remains the same with the bespoke recording.

  • Master: Warp Records Limited (ISRC: GB5P51900191)

    Publishing: Domino Publishing Company Limited (writers: Timothy Gane and Laetitia Sadier)

    Control: Independent (Master), Independent (Publishing)

    Notes: Two-writer split under single independent publisher.

Option Four: Orchestral development of CRUK’s playful identity refresh

for portfolio use only

Chassol - Odissi, Pt. III (Farewell)

Musical Choice:

  • Grand, swelling low end with elastic, percussive piano layers

  • Repetitive but evolving orchestral-leaning structure

Creative Reasoning:

  • Bass swells echo Cancer Research’s relentlessness

  • Piano keeps tone restrained but optimistic

  • Sense of closure and hope aligns with reframing cancer as survivable, not taboo

  • Balances scale with sense of approachability

Practical/Licensing Notes:

  • Familiar instrumentation keeps focus on voiceover and imagery

  • Rhythmic repetition supports precise edit syncing (MRI, ‘it’s gone’, logo)

  • Artist’s established sync history suggests fewer clearance hurdles

  • Chassol’s ‘Odissi, Pt. III (Farewell)’ is music on a grand scale. The repeating bassy swell mimicking Cancer Research’s unrelenting attitude to the gruelling battle against cancer. Each swell timing with a key element of the voiceover’s narrative (MRI, ‘it’s gone’), as well as the arrival of the logo at the end of the video (timing would be perfected in the editing room).

    Layered on top is a busy, percussive, slightly elastic piano track that keeps the tone emotionally-restrained, but somewhat friendly, supporting Cancer Research’s push to break the taboo. As the name suggests, the track has a sense of closure, of having been through a lot but still remaining hopeful.

    The song’s repetitive structure and familiar orchestral instrumentation helps keep focus on the voiceover and what is on the screen, while remaining animated enough to avoid getting lost within the many on-screen ads viewers may see. With Chassol’s history of sync placements, and Cancer Research’s penchant for big name cues, there shouldn’t be too many obstacles in securing a license for this.

  • Master: The Back Office (ISRC: FR90Q1300146)

    Publishing: No PRS listing located (sole writer: Christophe Chassol)

    Control: Independent (Master), Non-PRS Administered (Publishing)

    Notes: Single-writer composition, with publishing likely administered outside of UK.

Option Five: Energetic, forward-thinking electronic

for portfolio use only

Dorian Concept - In A Mist

Musical Choice:

  • Step-sequenced electronic loop with humanised variation

  • Weighty bass, distorted echoes, subtle rises in intensity

Creative Reasoning:

  • Suggests scientific discovery and progress without sounding cold or clinical

  • Repetition mirrors persistence while variation keeps it emotionally alive

  • Energy lift timed to the introduction of a positive personal memory (wedding)

  • Organic finish at the end provides a natural emotional landing for the logo

Practical/Licensing Notes:

  • Sits cleanly behind voiceover, easy for viewer to distinguish between SFX and music

  • Loop-based structure makes editorial timing flexible

  • Clear internal dynamics allow meaningful narrative sync moments

  • Arguably the most surprising sound, ‘In A Mist’ features an abstracted step-sequenced loop, repetitive but with enough flair and variation to give it a human, real edge. Its electronic nature induces thoughts of scientific discovery, while swooping sounds pair with the dynamic footage of work being done in a laboratory.

    With its clean production, ‘In A Mist’ has an air of measured playfulness. A weighty bass rises into vibrant, distorted echos. It carries this sense of progression, of constantly moving forward, but remains grounded, always referring back to where it began.

    Technically, the song sits well behind the voiceover, and with its repetitive nature, it becomes easy for the viewer to distinguish between sound and SFX. I chose this particular section of the song as it’s where the energy increases slightly, timing the increase in distortion just after the wedding story is mentioned.

    I edited the track so that I could use both that early moment of energy change, as well the organic end of the song: the quick and quiet echo away felt like an appropriate moment of closure for the ad, and worked well as a visual cue to introduce the Cancer Research logo at the end.

  • Master: Play Instinct (per release credit)

    Publishing: No PRS listing located (sole writer: Oliver Thomas Johnson)

    Control: Independent (Master), Non-PRS Administered (Publishing)

    Notes: No PRS or PPL registration at time of search. Publishing likely administered outside of UK.

Final thoughts

When used correctly, music can work to de-stigmatise heavy subjects without trivialising them. This fine line is one I walked, not going full tongue-in-cheek, but also avoiding a one-dimensional tone of dread and fear (in this analysis of the ‘Enemy’ campaign, it’s suggested that the ad would only serve to frighten people: ‘a reinforcement of their utmost fears that Cancer IS going to kill them and there is no hope’).

I chose not to limit myself to one genre or style, but instead to search for tracks that held a certain level of emotional maturity, as well as a sense of familiarity in their instrumentation and structure, aiding digestion of the overall message. All five tracks are soft enough to give room to the powerful voiceover and moving image, but carry a certain complexity to avoid simplifying the issue or downplay the vital work that Cancer Research does.